What music is better able to do than language is to represent the complexity of human emotional states.
Daniel LevitinRead
As soon as you hear a proposition, the creative brain in humans assumes for the moment that it's true, and starts trying to find evidence. It's what computer scientists in the old days used to call 'Fifo:' first in, first out. The first piece of information that gets in has a privileged position, even if it's misinformation.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The human brain tends to accept new information as true initially, leading to potential bias in evaluating evidence.
This quote by Daniel Levitin highlights how the human brain processes new information, suggesting that upon hearing a proposition, we instinctively accept it as true and begin looking for supporting evidence, regardless of its accuracy. This cognitive bias can lead to misinformation being reinforced if it is one of the first pieces of information encountered, illustrating the importance of critical thinking and scrutiny in evaluating claims.
Themes
CognitionMisinformationEvidenceCritical ThinkingBias
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about climate change, one might quote Levitin to emphasize the importance of questioning initial claims.
More from Daniel Levitin
All quotes →Information overload refers to the notion that we're trying to take in more than the brain can handle.
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That walk around the block, that fresh air, is going to help you work more quickly and effectively when you get back.
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There are a lot of books about how to get organized and a lot of books about how to be better and more productive at business, but I don't know of one that grounds any of these in the science.
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There's an ancient connection between movement and music. Most languages don't make a distinction between the words 'music' and 'dance.' And we can see that in the brain. When people are lying perfectly still but listening to music, the neurons in the motor cortex are firing.
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Unfortunately, often found next to things that are true are an enormous number of things that are not - in websites, videos, books and on social media.
Daniel LevitinRead
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